Rolling Jubilee, an Occupy Wall Street activist group, has purchased and abolished 15 million dollars of Americans’ personal debt for only $400,000. The main reason for Rolling Jubilee’s perplexing actions was that they wanted to ignite a push in healthcare reform while empowering Americans to negotiate with debt buyers and collection agencies. Tabetha Wallace and Lissette Padilla discuss how to exercise your rights

Perhaps the worst aspect of living as an “urban hermit” is having my enjoyment of the world outside limited mostly to what I can see through the “windows” of my TV and computer screens. Thankfully, after the really rough start my day had, there are sites like My Pretty Universe I can lose myself in to restore my sense of wonder…

Just a “few” of the many great images at My Pretty Universe on Tumblr

I want ice water.

More from the Visual Treats volume

The Dancing Cry Of The Soul

~~Rumi~~

Love is the dancing cry of the soul, calling the body to worship
Like a shining whirlpool, or a spinning mayfly
So is love among the skies.

I leap across the mountaintops, madly singing the song of all songs 
I float through the ether, intoxicated, thrilled 
I think only of your love, your calling to me 
And I dance the thousand dances of love, all returning to you.

It is not the play of children, nor the detached unity of wise sages
Unreal! Unnecessary!
Where is the beauty?

When I, like a glowing comet, may flash around your sun 
Laughing, singing, with the joy of loving you!

Wine makes drunk the mind and body
But it is love which thrills the soul
When I approach you, I feel the mad pounding of love
The singing wonder
The joy which opens blossoms on…

The Sun and Moon fell in love
And gave birth to baby girl
Around which the heavens circle
The center of my world

Every planet sought her presence
Showering presents at her birth
But she chose to become my lover
On none other than Mother Earth

She brought with her the oceans
Rows of diamonds, strings of pearl
A sky of endless wonder
And a head of endless curls

She gathered every drop of goodness
From the surrounding universe
She pulled perfection from her pocket
And protection from her purse

The stars danced for her amusement
She twinkled, and they twirled
Her reasons brought new seasons
Her mind made the winds to whirl

Mountains moved like men
As she lifted the weight of curse
Animals spoke like saints
After hearing her song and verse

Every ending became a beginning
By her grinning and giving a hurl
She would look upon…

~~~

Sarah Brightman

“Love Changes Everything”

~~~

~~~

One day many years ago I was introduced to “Love”……….It has changed my life and turned my world right-side up.

Where once I would wonder off into the pit of sadness, hopelessness, fearfulness, powerlessness, and shame, love stepped up to the plate and reversed all of those feelings and lifestyles.

I know so many family members, friends, and people in general who feel alone, powerless, and dwell in the pits of feeling like nobody cares and it’s the worst feeling in the world. Everybody wants to feel like somebody cares about them and loves them. You know have that sense of feeling like you belong. And that’s why I believe God sets us up in families. But even in the midst of family, you can still have these types of feelings.

Well as far as in my life after being in what…

Marilynne Robinson’s review of this new O’Connor book (really an unedited—by O’Connor– journal written in a spiral notebook when she was but 20 years old and enrolled in the Iowa Writer’s Workshop) is both stimulating and revealing. Robinson was an inspired choice for the job by the editors of the NYT Book Review.

Excerpts–

“It is the religious sensibility reflected in this journal that makes it as eloquent on the subject of creativity as it is on the subject of prayer. O’Connor’s awareness of her gifts gives her a special kind of interest in them. Having concluded one early entry by asking the Lord to help her “with this life that seems so treacherous, so disappointing,” she begins the next entry: ‘Dear God, tonight it is not disappointing because you have given me a story. Don’t let me ever think, dear God, that I was anything but the instrument for…

It’s unfortunate that this tasteless taunting will probably play a major role in determining the future of the Washington Redskins. – Richard

The ongoing debate surrounding the portrayal of Native Americans in sports was revisited last weekend after an Alabama high school taunted an opposing team with a sign that referenced the bloody Trail of Tears.

Before Friday night’s game against the Pinson Valley Indians, members of McAdory High School’s cheerleading squad erected a banner that read: “Hey Indians, get ready to leave in a Trail of Tears Round 2″.

School officials offered an apology immediately following the incident.

“This was not condoned by the school administration, the Jefferson County Board of Education or the community,” McAdory principal Tod Humphries said in an official statement.

“The person who would normally be responsible for approving such signs is out on maternity leave, and I take full responsibility…